I have been offered for sale a 79 L82 5 speed ! Its badged "4+1 speed" on the body. The owner died and the car has been in his garage for 12 years. The seller (son in law) tells me its 1 of 3 made by so and so. This is the vin # 1Z8749S438984... How can I find out this info and what the build sheet was?

Alex, you can check the VIN with our VIN Decoder Forum in the Research area above.   Possibly some of our other members may have more info.   Good luck.

Thanks Larry. I tried the VIN decoder option but it doest tell me about the last 6 digits (paint, options, etc, and this 5 speed. All it tells me is that its a 79 L82...

The VIN will not give any paint/interior codes, nor does it give any trans info. There were NO 5 speeds offered from the factory, so if the car has anything other than an automatic, or a 4 speed, it has been changed.
Check the trim tag on the driver side, front dash area to get the build date, and trim codes(paint/interior). Then look under the "Research" button at the tops of the pages here for the "C3 Corvette Build Dates" to determine the body build date. The trim code/combinations are also available in the "Research" area.

The last 6 digits of the VIN are the sequential build numbers, meaning the number of that particular car in the year. In this instance, a VIN of 38984 would be the 38,984th Corvette built that year..

The car may have been built by someone with the 5 speed, but it's not factory. A lot of aftermarket folks would do special stuff like that just to see how it would work, and some offered kits for the DIY guys. Pics would be neat, as would info on what type of trans it is. Just don't fall for the "It's a special ordered, one of XX" trick. If the car is in nice condition, it's not worth more than a normal '79 just because it has a 5 speed that they think is factory original...Having the L82 helps, tho...


btw..the only way to know what is on the build sheet is to find the build sheet. They are normally placed on top of the fuel tank, but copies have been found under the dash, seats, even under the carpet in the rear compartment. There are also places to order copies of the build sheet, going back to 1977. Do a search here...there have been several threads on the subject, and the places that offer the build sheets have been posted in some of the threads.
Adams' Apple2009-09-28 20:18:43

Thanks for all the info; really helps. The seller tells me that in fact its not a factory 5-speed but was bought directly from the dealer with the 4+1 speed. It was done by a guy called Doug Nash. Does that name ring a bell?

Doug Nash has been around for ages. He did do some 5 speed conversion kits way back when, and he also did the "4+3" standards for the '84-'88 Corvettes, but those came from the factory like that.

A "tired" '79 isn't gonna be at the high end of the value scale, so don't get caught paying more than it is worth. There's just too many nice ones out there for that. Also, a decent paint job is gonna run around $3000, interior replacement is around $1200(or more), and other stuff like brakes can get expensive real quick if it needs complete rebuilding. Be sure to check very carefully for rust on the frame just ahead of the rear tire/wheels, and on the windshield header(across the top)...rust in those areas can be impossible to repair without total replacement...watch out!!
However....if you have the $$$, the time, and patience, AND they guy don't want too much for the car to start with, then go for it!
I'd guess the value on just what you decribed as being somewhere around $3,000-$4,000 or less. Like I said...there's just too many nice cars out there that don't need as much work to spend too much on one that needs a lot of work...just my .02.

thanks again for the good advise... Seller wanted $8k

Rub Forest....RUUUUUN!!!!
8 grand would buy a nice '79 with fairly low miles...(I'd sell ya my '85 for that.... )
It is, of course, entirely your decision. Has there been any other modifications to the car other than the trans? That might factor into the value, also.

Alex,

All of the above comments are factual !  This is what belonging to the C3 group is ALL about.  People helping people.  Go PACKERS ~!!